We all have fond memories of our childhood bicycles. Will Freeman finds out.
We all have fond memories of our childhood bicycles. Some even made it to the big screen, as Will Freeman finds out.
For so many of us, bicycles are defining of our childhood. More than that, perhaps, they are an essential vehicle for the journey from birth to independence.
It all starts with what is an iconic moment for both children and parents, when youngsters first pedal unaided, riding away from the arms of their father or mother, both literally and metaphorically. From that moment on, before owning a car is anything like a possibility, bikes are machines that expand our range as we grow. Any of us that learned how to ride a bike in childhood likely have memories of pedal powered roaming with a pack of friends, misadventures far from home, or perhaps even making a two-wheeled escape from mischief.
It’s no surprise, then, that children’s bikes are big business. There are more brands and models than one could keep up with, but most there are generic to the extreme. Today there are also high-end mountain and racing bikes with 14” wheels for tiny riders - that also sport high performance disk brakes, highly specialised frame geometry and a range of parts that push them into many hundreds of pounds each. And then there are the icons.
Bikes like the Chopper, Tomahawk, Grifter and Burner will be etched into the minds of so many - for yes, in the UK and beyond, it was the bicycles of the 1885-founded British cycling outfit the Raleigh Bicycle Company that really captured what childhood was about.
But before we look at those classics, it’s worth considering the emergence of the concept of a bicycle for children - which may be something we in-part have to thank the arrival of the automobile for.
During the bone shaking early history of the pedal bike, which saw the earliest examples of the bicycle emerge in the opening two decades of the 19th century, they were contraptions that were conceived for adults. However, early riders were sometimes mocked for their choice of transportation, with the nickname ‘hobby horse’ given to bicycles, to suggest they were a childish pursuit.
Eventually, however, the ‘roadster’ form emerged as the dominant adult model of pedal bike, becoming popular across the globe. In fact, that ‘town bike’ design has proved perennial, and remains common today. But around the same time as the roadster emerged, the mass production of cars was beginning, and increasingly they became an affordable means of transport. While roadster usage and sales persisted, with the arrival of the automobile, suddenly bicycles were perceived as perhaps more suited to children - particularly in the United States. Manufacturers increasingly turned their attention to children’s bikes, with many reports suggesting ‘before 1916’ as the date that the earliest child-specific bicycle was produced.
Mass manufacturing - and its bedfellows of marketing, branding and advertising - had to grow up a little before the really iconic kids’ bikes emerged, however.
The most famed, of course, is the Chopper. Despite being a British icon, the Chopper actually debuted in the 1969 issue of Raleigh’s US catalogue, arriving in the UK the following year. It quickly became an obsession of youngsters, and strong sales turned round the fortunes of the thenstruggling Raleigh.
Its design is credited to Nottingham resident Alan Oakley - though a Cambridge designer by the name of Tom Karen has also laid claim to conceiving the concept, which was heavily inspired by the flourishes of the American ‘chopper’ motorcycles. In fact, the US 1964 Schwinn Sting-Ray kids’ bike also had a significant influence on the styling and function of the Chopper, with that latter inheriting much of the former’s ‘high riser’ design.
Today a mint original Mk1 chopper will set you back between £2,200 and £3,000 or more, though it should be noted that as sales become less and less common, it’s hard to list a precise, static price. A fully restored Mk1 will save you a little, but you’ll still need to shell out a way into four figures. You
can sometimes find a rideable model for £500 or thereabouts, but as seen in the picture on these pages, even an utter wreck might push you close to half a grand.
Then there were the smaller Choppers, such as the Chipper, Tomahawk and diminutive Budgie, all of which demand a significant outpouring from your wallet.
Inspired by the Chopper’s success, in 1976 Raleigh started to market a pre-production version of the Grifter, which took the form of a chunky BMX that was absolutely aimed at youngsters. Raleigh once again took inspiration from motorbikes, with a throttle style shifter on one handlebar grip, letting riders change gear as if revving a motorbike.
A Grifter is a more affordable option today, with rideable examples swelling for between £100 and £200, and very good condition pieces nudging £600. The design of the Grifter has aged tremendously well, but it ended production in 1983 after a relatively short run. Part of the Grifter’s fading might be because another Raleigh icon began to reflect a change in tastes. BMXing had evolved from its ‘bicycle motocross’ roots on US dirt tracks in the early 1970s to being a global sensation with several sub-disciplines.
In 1982, Raleigh debuted the Burner, which remains perhaps one of the most iconic BMXes not featured in a Hollywood movie (see panel below). There have been numerous models, including the Tuff Burner, which featured the five-spoke plastic ‘mag’ wheels that are still seen on BMXes today. While a Mk1 in good condition might ‘only’ cost you £250-to-£500, the most well remembered models such as the blue and yellow Tuff Burner might cost closer to £650. And the ultimate Burner? The Team Aero Burner is our favourite, and extremely hard to price. To give you an impression, in 2017 Raleigh produced 350 reproductions to celebrate the 35th anniversary, with a £500 RRP. They already sell second hand for over £1,000.
Clearly, collecting classic Raleigh kids bikes isn’t for those with shallow pockets. And with David Beckham apparently having a Super Tuff Burner mounted on his wall, you start to get a sense of how monied some classic Raleigh collectors are.
To us at Collectors Gazette however, bikes are for riding. So if you can’t justify - or find a mint Mk1 Chopper, just get a classic Raleigh you can actually use. Because the feeling of the wind in your hair is the part that really can’t be priced.